


Adam

by Paradoxdivide



Series: SMT I crew stopped the apocalypse from happening and everything snowballed from there [2]
Category: Persona 5, Shin Megami Tensei, Shin Megami Tensei Series, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner, Shin Megami Tensei: if...
Genre: F/M, Other, There is a relationship in here but to tell you guys would be kind of a spoiler, but also kind of serious?, hard to gauge where the crack ends and where the serious begins, kind of crack, or vice versa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2020-01-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:20:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22123222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Paradoxdivide/pseuds/Paradoxdivide
Summary: Mishima finds himself thrust into a world of demons, and is surprised to find himself pretty okay with the idea.
Series: SMT I crew stopped the apocalypse from happening and everything snowballed from there [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1592425
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	Adam

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place right after A Word Of Caution, so please read that if you want to know why suddenly this is happening. Also, I hope you enjoy reading! Please comment, I read every one every time and it means a lot to me when people do.

-

Yuuki Mishima had a secret. This secret, one he could not tell even the Phantom Thieves, made him quite possibly the most important person in the school. This secret made him one of few individuals in the world to see what lies behind the curtain of normal life and truly know what it was hiding beneath the veil.

Yuuki Mishima knew about demons. What he knew was admittedly little, given that his contact had only told him enough to “catch him up” on matters, but he knew enough.

He knew how the Phantom Thieves operated, even if only through guesswork. He knew that it probably involved demons, and he knew they didn't know what demons were. When he had brought up the possibility as a joke to Ren while giving him new targets from the Phansite earlier that day, the boy laughed it off. Mishima ran through the encounter many times in his head, and he couldn't sense any deceit from his laughter. Granted, Ren Amamiya could just be a very good liar, but now Mishima knew he could be one as well.

If they were going to keep secrets from him, he might as well keep a few of his own, anyways.

He wondered idly if any demons made their domain at Shujin. He knew they could act almost completely human, to the point where one could hardly sense the difference unless they knew what to look for. Mishima wasn't sure if he was one of those people that knew what to look for. Not yet, anyways. Still... It couldn't hurt to do a little searching, right? While Kawakami-sensei had her back turned and all, he could just check his surroundings a little. It never hurt to be aware of one's surroundings. That was rule number one when living a life of being bullied at every turn.

Looking to the back of the class, he saw Takamaki and Ren on their phones. Perhaps they were discussing Phantom Thief business? Or maybe Takamaki wasn't even a part of the group. The only ones he was sure about were Ren and Ryuji. She definitely had the motive to take down Kamoshida, so he decided he could count on her as a member regardless. Those two were the only real standouts from the class, however. The rest were just about as generic as he was... Wait.

His eyes stopped on a girl in the very back row of the classroom, in the far left corner. Had she... Always been there? Mishima had thought there to be a boy sitting there most days. Now that he thought about it, he couldn't really tell what she looked like. All he could make out was that she had dark hair, and maybe... She was looking at him? He couldn't tell. His eyes weren't that bad, were they? It almost looked like she didn't even-

His phone started buzzing in his pocket. He felt the eyes of his teacher hone in on him. He didn't have to turn around to realize he was in trouble, but he turned around out of respect for his teacher.

“Mishima-kun, this is a first. You've never disregarded my lesson so completely before. Is this subject really so boring to you?”

“I... I'm sorry, Kawakami-sensei.” Mishima meant it. He was usually such an astute student... In cases where his mind wasn't flooded with demons, at any rate. Kawakami seemed to take his apology at face value, however.

“Hm. As long as this doesn't become a habit.”

“It won't Kawakami-sensei.” Mishima bowed his head, and Kawakami ceased her death glare, resuming the lesson. Mishima hadn't missed that Ren and Takamaki had not looked up from their phones, despite the interruption. Did they really care so little for him that they wouldn't even glance up? That was some scene he had caused, not to toot his own horn.

He would admit that his feelings were hurt, if just a bit. He resolved to check his phone after class had ended. He wasn't afforded the same luxury they were by Kawakami, especially not after that stunt. If he was being messaged by who he thought was messaging him though, this was more than worth his time.

-

The second he was able, Mishima bolted from the classroom and checked his messages. The bathroom was a safe enough location to do so, he supposed. Seeing the name, it was indeed from whom he had thought. His mysterious demon contact, the person who claimed to protect all of Tokyo for the last twenty years from the supernatural. Mishima had no idea if that was true, of course, but he didn't want to think he was being lied to. This was the most interesting to have ever happened to him.

_Adam: Be aware, there is a powerful demon infiltrating your school. Usually I am able to keep her under control, but someone there has caught her eye. Maybe she's trying in vain to make me jealous, or maybe... I'm not sure if I should be upset or ecstatic. In any case, make sure to protect them until the Summoner I've hired arrives._

_Administrator: A demon!? Already!?_

_Adam: These things happen more often than you would think. The only difference now is that you're getting a look behind the scenes, which means you also get a chance to minimize casualties._

Mishima gulped when he read that last word. Casualties? People were actually in danger of dying, if not for him. This wasn't righteous justice against those in power like the Phantom Thieves wanted, this was a real life or death situation. The mere thought of it had him grinning, that he could play a part in actually being the hero.

_Administrator: Okay, I get it... Do you have any clue who this demon could be after?_

_Adam: Well... Is there anyone quiet, confident, and charismatic that you think has a large enough amount of magnetite? That seems to be her type, from what my wife has told me._

Mishima thought hard. It couldn't be that easy, could it? A girl he had never seen before, that he couldn't quite see at all... In his homeroom class... It was just a coincidence, surely? But- Oh. Ren was in his class. Ren was quiet, confident, and though perhaps his charisma was a bit lacking, he was able to take down Kamoshida without physically fighting him. That must have meant he had a lot of that magnetite stuff. Granted, Mishima was making assumptions there, but...

He wasn't stupid. He knew he had a lead, if only in his gut.

_Administrator: I think I know who the demon is after! I have to save him!_

_Adam: You have to save him, do you? No offense, but after our conversation last night, I'm not sure sending you after a demon like her on your own is the best idea. In fact, it might be the worst idea I've ever heard. She'll rip you apart if you prove to be a consistent enough nuisance._

_Adam: If you can keep him away from her long enough though, find a place to hide? Then you may just hold out until the Summoner gets there._

_Administrator: Just you wait, I'll keep him safe._

He powered off his phone, and ran the opposite direction. He was stopped almost immediately by someone entering the bathroom, someone he knew somewhat well.

“Yo, Mishima? What's the big rush?” Ryuji cocked his head to the side. Mishima knew that Ryuji didn't like him very much, or at least wasn't one to willingly hang out with him. Still, Ryuji was friends with Ren, so this could all turn out for the best as long as he could regain his composure.

“Sakamoto, do you know where Ren is?”

“... And why do you need to know, huh?”

“Because-” Mishima stopped. Could he let Ryuji in on what was going on? He knew he was a Phantom Thief, but did that mean he could even help at all? If it turned out he just brought unnecessary danger to him... Could he risk that? He lowered his voice warily. “It's really... Urgent business. Phansite business.”

“What, is something wrong with the site?” Ryuji didn't seem to share Mishima's awareness of their location, not taking any measures to lower his voice at all.

“Well, I really need to talk with him, so...”

“...” Ryuji's eyes narrowed in suspicion. Mishima found himself standing just the slightest bit straighter.

“Do you...” Mishima started to sweat. “Do you know where he is?”

“... He's up on the roof. I'll let him know you're coming.”

“Thank you!”

“Yeah, sure. Just get it done quick, alright? I had somethin' important to talk to him about.” Mishima nodded hastily, running off towards the stairs.

-

Ren had to admit, even with all the weirdness of the Metaverse, of the alternate world where his inner self did battle with the demented desires of those around him...

“Ren-kun, please wait up!”

Having a girl follow him so doggedly like this was the strangest thing to happen to him thus far. Was this what people mean when they say that girls love bad boys? He wasn't even that bad, so this girl would probably lose interest before long if she actually got to know him. Of course, that would also mean rejecting a possible confidant... And that would just be bad business. Once he got to the roof, he decided to wait and see if she really would follow him up here. Even if she was into bad boys, and thought him to be one, such actions were just fool-hardy.

“Wow... You definitely know how to get a girl her workout!” She smiled brightly as she finally caught up to him, almost exaggeratedly making a point of heaving her chest in and out with each breath. Ren too made a point of looking away as she did, out of politeness. In doing so, he missed the sudden scowl that appeared on her face. It was gone the instant he turned back to her. “Now I can say what I wanted to earlier, before you ran up here! I'm really interested in you, Ren-kun!”

“Interested, huh?” Ren didn't quite know what to make of that. It was definitely more straightforward than he expected.

“I'm not sure I like the sound of that, Joker.” Morgana piped up from his hiding spot in Ren's bag. Ren couldn't help but find himself agreeing. The more he looked at her, something about this girl was off. Maybe he could make a quick excuse and-

“I don't think anybody asked you. And Joker-kun, huh? Here I was thinking your name was Ren-kun... How silly of me.” His eyes darted back towards her own, now wide with surprise. Now he was paying attention, hm? She smirked.

“How did you hear Morgana?” The question escaped him before he could see the foolishness in it. He was giving far too much away far too easily.

“You start interrogating a girl before you even learn her name? How beastly of you, Joker-kun. Maybe if you start with that question, I'll be more keen to answering the rest? Just maybe.”

“Fine. What's your name, then?”

“My name is Yuriko, Joker-kun, and I think... That we're destined to be with each other.” She got closer to him, close enough to touch, close enough to make her own...

“Oh no you don't!” Before she could register what was happening, she felt herself be tackled by a mysterious interloper. How dare he intrude on this most precious of moments!? Curse this feeble human body for allowing even this most feeble of attacks to knock her to the ground. She felt the weight remove itself from on top of her and scuttle towards her beloved.

“Mishima, what are you-”

“No time! We need to move, now!”

“You... Mishima, is it?” She had gotten up now. Perhaps she had gotten a bit farther up than she had meant to, because her floating above the ground had not been the initial intent. “You are the one from before. The only one to notice me in your class. My first day here and I'm already found out... By a nobody like you. I'm almost embarrassed. No magnetite at all and you still saw through me completely.”

Mishima didn't bother wasting time to respond as he grabbed hold of Ren and made for the stairwell. The door to it closed suddenly, as if forced by the wind. Now if only there was any wind around him to calm his nerves. From what he could tell, that was all demon stuff.

On the bright side, this did mean demons were real. Not that he would live long enough to relish that. He closed his eyes and prepared for the worst.

-

It was the night before his presumed doom that he had entered this new world. Mishima had finally set up the Phantom Thieves Aficionado Website, or the Phansite for short. He would be getting requests in the forum, where the Phantom Thieves could read them and decide which ones to take on. Some of them were, admittedly, really petty... But others seemed like they deserved merit. He had already spotlighted the one about that stalker, and soon enough they would be going after even more.

He could rest assured knowing that his role as the Phantom Thieves' public figure was going as smooth as could... Was that a direct message? He checked the icon, completely alien in design to the rest of the site. Yet, here it was, on the site itself instead of some email service. He clicked on it, only to be met with a jumble of characters. So, whomever had cracked the code of the Phansite to add this feature had also encrypted his messages to make sure nobody could easily see them. That was... Pretty shady.

Nevertheless, he could totally decipher it, and this was an interesting enough mystery on its own.

About an hour later, he had found out what the message was saying. His first few attempts at it were somewhat sloppy, due to him not taking the matter seriously. Once he started trying, plain text was all that was there for him to see.

_Are you the leader of the Phantom Thieves?_

Huh. Well, no, not at all. He barely even had anything to do with them if he was being honest... But was this the kind of opportunity he wanted to just pass up like that? There was no reply window, but if this backdoor, hashed together messaging service was all that they had to go off of, he was sure they wouldn't mind him tampering with it himself. The strange little imp icon that accompanied the program seemed inert, as if it was just waiting for him to come in and modify it.

After a few tweaks here and there, everything was running smoothly. He also saw fit to add the ability to name oneself, mostly because the format his mysterious messenger had set as default was... A little bit confusing.

_Administrator: Who wants to know?_

Almost immediately the imp icon turned light green, bouncing up and down with its little pixel arms waving in the air. It was a pretty cute image, honestly.

_???: Deflecting. You must not be it, then._

_Administrator: You're deflecting too, though._

_???: That's right. If you are the leader, then, has my friend not contacted you yet? I was under the impression that he had spoken to one of you before..._

Spoken to one of them... Did he mean that Ren had brought someone from outside the school into the Thieves? He wasn't sure they would do that, but could he really be sure about anything nowadays? He still didn't even know how they took down Kamoshida.

_Administrator: I'm more... The Phantom Thieves' public spokesperson._

_???: Ah, I see. Somewhat similar to the Kuzunoha Clan's way of doing business then?_

The what?

_???: Well, how many Devil Summoners would you like for me to call in to assist the Phantom Thieves? I may be able to call one of the four great Summoners, but I can more easily call a number of minor Summoners if quantity is more of a concern._

_Administrator: I'm sorry, but you've lost me. Devil Summoners? Kuzunoha?_

This time, the icon did not immediately respond. Mishima wondered if he had said something wrong. Still, the way this guy was going on, he was probably getting trolled anyways.

_???: I see. You are still new to this business, are you not?_

_Administrator: What business?_

_???: The business of us Summoners. The supernatural underbelly of Tokyo, the shadow of modern society._

_Administrator: Uh-huh..._

_???: You do not believe me. I was similar when all of it first happened, but eventually it became too much for me to ignore. It will be the same way for you, most likely._

_Administrator: Is there any way to... Say, prove what you're saying? Not to be a cynic, but what you're saying sounds pretty unbelievable._

_???: Look up the October Kichijoji Incident, 1995._

“October... Kichijoji Incident?” Mishima found himself muttering the words under his breath. He typed the phrase into another tab on his computer, not wanting to leave it to go get his phone. The results came slowly... But there were results. A few murders, a bunch of kidnappings, an attempted coup? Sure these things were strange, and that they all happened at the same time were crazy... But he could only stomach these mid-90s independent news sites for so- Wait... Was that...? “Waruo-sensei? Why would he...”

The headline read: _Heroic Young Men Save Kidnapped Girls From Suspected Terrorist._

There he was, standing right there, begrudgingly smiling for the camera. He wore a gray camouflage trench coat, but that was absolutely his new gym teacher. Beside him were two others, both brown haired young men. Their smiles were much calmer, more accepting of the role the media had placed them in. As he followed this lead, he found other headlines, other articles. _Group Of Teens Spearhead Public Restoration Committee. Four Brave Heroes Shed Light On Shady American Dealings._

Eventually he found their names. Yuji Yoshio, Tamaki Uchida, Kazuya Futsuo, Yuka Futsuko... There it was. Takeshi Waruo. Mishima wracked his brain over what this could possibly mean, only afterwards thinking that he should check back with his newfound mystery. The icon was red, hopping angrily up and down. It only took Mishima opening it up to see just what that had meant.

_???: All the articles about that incident, even those created trying to deduce the truth of it, only cover the recovery of Tokyo. None of them cover the kidnappings in detail, only the girls' rescue. None of them will say the name of the man who sought to take Tokyo for himself. None of them will tell you what exactly the Americans were doing in the first place._

_???: All any of them talk about is the after-effects. Do you get what I'm talking about, Administrator?_

_???: Administrator?_

_???: Are you still reading, Administrator? Fine, I will stand by until you finish._

_???: Are you finished?_

_???: Are you finished?_

_???: I must assume you are not finished._

_???: Are you finished?_

There were no timestamps, but Mishima felt like the messages had come within seconds of each other.

_Administrator: Why are you so clingy?_

_???: Ah, you must be finished then. Good. Well, do you get what I'm talking about?_

_Administrator: I think so... You mean how it's like they're trying to ignore something, right?_

_???: You mean cover something up. That would be the presence of demons in the event._

_Administrator: Demons?_

_???: Indeed. Gotou unleashed demons into Tokyo, and attempted to take over the city with them. If not for the efforts of my friends and I, he would have succeeded._

_Administrator: So you're one of the heroes these articles mention. But why doesn't anybody ever talk about what happened back then?_

_???: That's the way of demons, Administrator. People with low magnetite counts forget their encounters with demons as easily as one would forget the weather on this day five years ago. Unless one made a conscious effort to remember that kind of detail, normal people don't take to remembering it._

Mishima was almost sure of it now. This guy was screwing with him. Even if those articles did exist, he could have feasibly planted them there for this very con, even if... Even if there were just a few coincidences too many to completely disregard. Still... If demons did exist, and they were an actual threat to society, that seemed like the kind of thing the Phantom Thieves should keep track of, right? As their producer, he had a responsibility to keep track of this for them. He thought that, certainly... But did that mean that his supposed demon slayer felt the same?

_Administrator: Alright, let's say I believe you. Why do you want to get in contact with the Phantom Thieves? How did you even manage to create your own backdoor into the site like this?_

_???: I'm a programmer, first and foremost. I've done my fair share of hacking, and it's been a while since I've gotten to have fun with it. Nakajima-san is still busy with his video-game empire, and my own disciple isn't... She doesn't quite have the want for it, I suppose. Not out of a lack of trying on my part, mind you._

_Administrator: Uh-huh... Aren't you like, in your 40s or something by now? I don't think you have to involve yourself with the Phantom Thieves._

_???: I was in high school too, when all of this happened to me. You saw, didn't you?_

_???: Also, I'm 39. I'm not that old._

_Administrator: That sounds like something an old man would say._

_Administrator: Wait._

Mishima paled.

_Administrator: Why did you mention high school?_

_???: The Phantom Thieves are Shujin High School students, aren't they?_

_Administrator: Why would you think that?_

_???: Very cagey all of a sudden, Administrator. I told you already, my friend brought your group to my attention._

_???: And to answer your question from earlier... I'm involving myself not to assist the Phantom Thieves, per se. Rather..._

_Administrator: Rather... What?_

A pause in responses. Mishima cursed the fact that this makeshift chat app didn't let him know if the other person was typing or not.

_???: If the Phantom Thieves turn out to be like another group of Phantoms I've heard about... I know just the people to call to make sure none of you ever see the light of day ever again, Yuuki Mishima._

Mishima wanted to shut down his computer and go to bed. He wanted to forget this conversation had even happened.

_Administrator: You know my name then? Why bother with calling me Administrator earlier then?_

_???: I wanted to make sure you didn't do anything rash from the start. Now, would you be willing to learn what your group has really gotten itself into?_

Mishima felt like the smart thing to do would have been to say no. He could still cut ties with this mystery person, and he could go about his life just as he had before. He could forget all about this, if he really wanted to. He had that choice.

_Administrator: I would be. What do I call you, then?_

_???: Just as Eve shared the forbidden knowledge with her Adam, so that knowledge was passed down to their children._

_???: If you're to be my student, then I suppose that would make me your Adam, Mishima._

_Administrator: No real names, huh? And to think you already know mine. I have a list of people you could be though, and I'll figure it out soon enough._

_Adam: When you do, we may just be on equal ground._

-

The first thing Mishima heard was a piercing scream break through the rooftop. He thought for a second that it had been him, but the voice was definitely that of a woman. Or... A demon pretending to be a woman? He looked up from his cowering posture, and saw that the demon had been blinded by something sharp being thrown into its eye. Had Ren done that? To think Mishima had come up here to save him, when he seemed perfectly capable of saving himself.

“Mishima! Come on, let's go while she's distracted!”

“R-right!” As they ran through the now pried open doorway, they heard the transforming demon screech at the top of its lungs. Did it have lungs? Mishima was still new to demon biology, and now was not the time to ask Adam about it.

“You really think you're getting away that easily!? I'll rip you apart Mishima!” The horrible sound of bones cracking and flesh melting echoed through the stairwell. Ripping people apart was such a specific kind of threat when he thought about it, no wonder Adam was able to predict that. Maybe this was a common occurrence for this demon.

“She's- Not focusing- On you anymore, I guess.” Mishima found himself gasping for air before too long, both he and Ren scrambling through the hallways. It didn't matter who saw them and thought their behavior was off, this was their survival. Public image didn't matter.

“What even is she?” Ren meanwhile had no problem keeping up. He would have been a good track team member if that was still a thing the school had.

“Hold on, we- Have to- Hide! Help's coming- So don't worry!” Surprisingly, Ren took his answer with a nod. Did being a Phantom Thief have something to do with that, or was he just not phased by things like this?

“Alright.” Ren scanned the hallway, suddenly feeling a lot longer than it had before. “What about the janitor's closet? She might expect us to run right for the exit.”

“Okay- Sounds good!” The duo found the closet, opened the door, and hid inside in a matter of seconds. Mishima took this moment to finally get some air into his system.

“Now.” Ren turned to Mishima with a questioning look in his eye. He... Probably wanted answers, huh. “Will she go after any of the other students?”

“Huh? Why would she?”

“She's a monster with magic powers. You seem to be the expert here, so I'm asking you. Will she hurt anybody else?” There was a hint of desperation in Ren's eyes, and any want to keep him at all in the dark withered away before it could mature.

“No, it's just you... And now me.”

“Is she after me because I'm a Phantom Thief?” He wasn't bothering to try and hide it now. He had to be serious if he was dropping that thinly veiled act.

“No, at least, not completely. It's kind of a long explanation-”

“Spill it.” Ren gave him a glare that brokered no negotiation.

“Okay, I'll... It's easier to show you.” Mishima gestured for him to come over, which wasn't a far distance considering the location. Mishima opened the Phansite on his phone, and there was the icon bouncing up and down yet again. Apparently Adam had tried to get a hold of him yet again.

_Adam: Mishima, the Summoner is on her way. She's one of the best, so treat her with respect._

_Adam: You'll recognize her by her white suit, and her comp. It looks like that one I showed you the blueprints of last night._

_Adam: The Demon Summoning Program Lite should have downloaded itself onto your phone alongside this message._

_Administrator: Demon Summoning Program Lite? Why am I getting a trial version of it?_

_Adam: Handing someone with little natural magnetite a Demon Summoning Program is like giving a toddler a hand grenade. The chances you would not kill yourself with it are very small, and I don't want to be the reason for it._

Ren found himself looking back and forth from Mishima to the phone, his 'secret' bag cat meowing alongside him. Mishima was pretty sure everyone knew about the feline, but everyone was too intimidated by Ren's reputation to do anything about it.

_Administrator: That makes sense, but why give me the Lite version then? What's the difference?_

_Adam: With the Lite program, you can only summon demons with existing contracts, which means those already tamed by other Summoners. You'll find that I've already lent you a good friend of mine. He's a good boy, and he likes being pet from head to back. He'll protect you, but only summon him if worst comes to worst, alright?_

_Administrator: Got it. I'm going to continue hiding now._

_Adam: Smart idea._

With that conversation done, Ren's cat meowed again, to which Ren looked back at Mishima.

“Who was that?”

“That was Adam. He reached out to me about the Phantom Thieves, then started going on about demons and summoners- Oh, I guess Summoners is how I should say it. He kept capitalizing it like that. Anyways, he felt like I should know about these things if the Phantom Thieves are going to keep going the way they are.”

“... Has he said anything about a Metaverse?” Miishima couldn't help but raise an eyebrow to that. Was Ren letting him in a little on how they went about their Thieving? The word Metaverse wasn't much to go off of, but...

“Metaverse? Never heard anything like that... But what he mentioned, magnetite? That's why that demon is after you. Demons need magnetite to exist in the real world, so whenever they get some naturally, they start hunting humans for more. Usually this one is kept under lock and key, but something about your personality has gotten it to pay attention to you.”

“What is magnetite?”

“I'm... Not sure. I think it's like, energy? Demons need it, and humans have it. Well, I guess a lot of things have it, but certain humans have the most. I think you and the rest of the Thieves have that high amount. I... Don't.”

“Well, that just means you're safe from all this usually, right?”

“I used to be, but now...”

The closet door burst open in a dark, frozen wave of energy.

“You boys shouldn't be talking so loudly if you want to keep hidden, you know.” The demon spoke, and Mishima knew it to be a demon for sure this time. She was no longer the high-school girl, Yuriko. Instead, she was a seven foot tall woman with a snake barely covering her in some parts. Her hair was done up in almost a pompadour, and her eyes glowed a demonic yellow. “I was looking forward to a rousing game of cat and mouse.”

“Cat and mouse, huh?” Ren put on a brave face as Mishima tried and failed to do the same. “Sounds fun and all Yuriko, but how about we add in a dog to that game instead?”

“A dog, you say?” On Yuriko and Mishima's apparent confusion, Ren made a point to look towards Mishima's phone. Had he figured out what kind of demon Adam had lent him?

“Hit it Mishima!” As he said it, Mishima opened up the Demon Summoning Program Lite. His phone glowed with a holy light, overtaken by a dark figure rising out of it. A massive lion-dog, scaled in areas with pure white fur making up the rest. Yuriko's expression immediately changed from one of amusement to one of blatant anger.

“Me Beast Cerberus, and me protect master's friends!”

“Of course, he would get in my way to find new love! I can't have him, and I can't move on either! If you want to see a true demon, he's the man to go to!”

“Lilith. Me remember you. Me never ever like you!” Lilith? Adam's demon, Cerberus, knew what she was? “You know what mean if break contract with master!”

“Can you blame a girl for wanting more? You wouldn't understand, dog. Under all that power, under all that raw strength, you're still the scared little puppy trying to be his big strong daddy.”

Cerberus didn't respond, instead leaping forward to bite Lilith. She blocked the attack, but it had the side effect of pushing the both of them to the far wall, allowing Mishima and Ren an easy retreat.

“Looks like that's our cue. Ready Mishima?”

“... No. Ren, you should stay towards the entrance. I'll stay here with Cerberus and try to hold her off. I don't think he can plan around her actions without me there. He doesn't seem like a thinking kind of demon, you know?”

“No way. If I can't handle that kind of threat, you shouldn't even dream of it.”

“I'm sorry, but I've made my choice. Go back to the entrance. The Summoner Adam mentioned should be here soon. Point her over here. This is my chance to... I finally get to be important. Can't you let me have this?”

“... Don't die from this, Mishima. We still need the Phansite's Admin, after all.” This time... Ren didn't sound like he was lying to make Mishima feel important. It felt like he honestly meant it. Ren took off towards the entrance as Mishima returned his attention to the battle unfolding in front of him. Cerberus had monopolized Lilith's attention with that attack, though the torrent of ice she was hurling did not give Mishima any amount of confidence. What was he even thinking? Sure, he had wanted to be a hero, but this was insane!

“Master's friend should not be here! Master's friend should be gone!”

“Oho? Looks like you're more of a man than I thought, Mishima. Perhaps I'll keep you as a toy, to play with when my beloved isn't around.”

“Th-there's not... There's not g-going to be any playing, L-lilith.” Mishima cursed the stutter in his voice. The demon cackled as he spoke. Somehow the hallways, once filled with students, had cleared out. Perhaps everyone could sense what was going to happen and cleared out instead of attending their clubs.

“Very brave! I can almost believe it, if not for the way your knees are buckling underneath you. If only you were more powerful, I might have made you my beloved instead. Call off his dog, and I swear you'll make it through this just fine.”

“Master's friend no listen to Lilith! Lilith bad lady, all time!”

“Quiet you!” Lilith hurled more ice towards the beast, who dodged through instinct alone. It was clear to Mishima, Cerberus was the only thing keeping him alive right now.

“Lilith, your time here is running out, right? You can't stay forever. That's why you need him, right? To keep that form and all that power?”

“I want my beloved for my own reasons, Mishima. You can't hope to understand the machinations of a lady's heart.”

“Lilith no lady last me check.” Again, yet another blast of ice, and another skillful dodge. Mishima found himself ducking to the floor to avoid the periphery of the attack.

“Please Cerberus, stop antagonizing her!” The beast growled at the idea, but stayed silent as Mishima continued. “You're pretty much a person, right? And if you don't get enough magnetite, you die, right?”

“What are you playing at, Mishima?”

“I'm saying... Wouldn't it be smarter for you to cooperate with people instead of trying to take it by force? Maybe even stay in a less powerful form, or try to exist off of less magnetite!”

“Humans cooperating with demons? I know how that turns out, child. It never ends well. To obtain power is what demons live for. No human could abide by that without becoming a demon themselves.”

“But aren't humans already cooperating with demons? Haven't they always? If you really think humans and demons can't coexist in any way... If you thought that, you wouldn't be chasing after my friend. Either to feed off his magnetite, or to have him for... Other reasons, you believe that humans and demons can live together.”

Lilith stayed quiet. There was no lashing out, no rebuttal. Just a shocked expression on her face as Mishima poured his heart out like he really expected this to be his last stand. To be fair, he really did.

“You remind me of someone I used to work with, you know. An ambitious man, obsessed with protecting the land he loved no matter what it cost him.” Mishima wasn't sure where she was going with that connection, but if it kept him alive longer, then could he really complain? “What is your full name, Mishima?”

To Mishima... That felt like the kind of thing only a fool would tell a demon. The demoness began to look more and more smug as he stayed silent.

“Yuuki Mishima.”

Shock once more broke upon Lilith's features. Then, a complex emotion that Mishima wasn't sure he could describe if pressed. If Lilith had been asked to describe what she had felt, it would be a mixture of joy... And awe.

“Well then, Yuuki Mishima... Would you accept me? Would you accept a demon like me as your equal?” He felt like there was some kind of subtext to that, but... He was at the precipice for getting her to stop, all though talking it out. It was like he was in some kind of Amalasoft RPG.

“It doesn't take much for someone to be that. Will you stop trying to steal my friend away as your husband?”

“Of course, Yuuki-kun!” Before his eyes, Lilith once more took the shape of her Yuriko form. He was simultaneously thankful and disappointed to have her return to this. That demonic glint in her eye was all that hinted towards the truth of her nature. Instead of seeing few details in her face like before, now she appeared more real than everything else in the room. “I have you now, don't I?”

Only now... Only now did Yuuki Mishima realize he had basically proposed to a demon.

“Oh.”

-

“I really missed seeing what a successful negotiation looked like! Damn, looks like I wasn't needed here after all. You should really have more faith in the younger generation... You did kind of leave that Mishima kid to Lilith's devices though. Now the kid's practically married before he even graduated.” Kyouji Kuzunoha spoke into her cellphone as the teenager by her side spoke to his bag. Not the craziest thing she'd ever seen, so she didn't bother to question it. Kids were weird these days anyhow.

“I'm not worried about him.” Quiet and blunt, just like always.

“Wow, glad to know 'Adam' looks after his kids.” She could practically feel the frown form on his face.

“You know that's not what I meant Uchida-san.” Oof, real names were getting thrown out here? She must have really upset him.

“It's Kyouji while I'm on the job hacker-man.”

“You're always on the job.”

“Exactly! I worked hard for this title you self-entitled shut in!”

“I understand. It is wrong of me to belittle your achievement.”

“Yeah yeah, don't say stuff like that if we're just gonna go through this song and dance next time too. I swear, you're turning more and more into Steven every day.”

“Is that a compliment?”

“You tell me hacker-man.” Kyouji Kuzunoha hung up her phone, and returned her attention to the young man beside her. He couldn't stop staring at the newfound lovey-dovey nature of the demon that had been trying to ensnare him not a moment prior. Made sense. Kid was too young for that kind of commitment.

“You're still going to save him, right?” He looked up to her like she was supposed to have all the answers. Unfortunately for her, she was supposed to have all the answers.

“From what? He's not in danger of getting sucked dry like you were, since he has little magnetite. And when Lilith says she loves a guy, that's genuine. Plus, she's a looker, right? I'd say she's the best that kid is ever gonna get.”

“But isn't she a demon?”

Kyouji eyed the newfound couple once more, the boy obviously still trying to put the pieces together in his head. Still, he seemed decent enough. A bit wimpy compared to Lilith's past affairs, but good enough for this lifetime she supposed.

“Once you've been in the business a long enough time, the line between the two begins to blur. People can be demons, and vice versa. All she ever wanted was somebody to love her for who she is, right? If that kid can get over himself enough to do that, I don't think there'll be a problem.”

“But what if there is?” That voice wasn't the boy's this time... But again, weirder stuff.

“If there is...”

Kyouji Kuzunoha pressed a button on her arm-terminal, taking a card from it. She threw it towards Ren, which he would have missed if not for his attempts at bettering his proficiency. On the card was an image resembling yin and yang, only red and green with faces. Underneath the symbol was a telephone number. There was no name.

“If anything goes wrong, and you need somebody to come in and clean up your mess, call that number. Ask for Kyouji Kuzunoha, and you won't have to worry about it anymore.”

She was halfway out the door before another thought popped into her head.

“Fair warning though, I don't come cheap.”

-

**Author's Note:**

> Next installment is slated to be... A Law Hero special! Stay tuned for more from this crack AU I can't decide to treat legitimately or not!
> 
> Brief explanation of the AU, by the way:
> 
> The Alignment heroes from SMT I got help from Tamaki right after if... ended, but right before the apocalypse happened. Good thing too, since she was able to slap some sense into Yuji and Takeshi so that those three would work together to take down Thorman while Kazuya and Yuka took out Gotou. They spared him and turned him in to the police, while Tamaki whooped Thorman so hard he didn't have time to even transform. The Kuzunohas took care of his autopsy, and the rest of Devil Summoner and Persona played out from there, plus Nocturne happening in the middle. Don't worry, the world stayed saved despite that vortex world business. You can expect some Fiend action later, when I actually find the time to write it.


End file.
